•A new trapezoidal pyramid solar still design was proposed and investigated.•Multi thermal enhancers with low cost was provided and investigated.•The thermo-economic performance was tested compared a ...conventional still.•Maximum enhancement of 147.3 and 144.2% was achieved in production and efficiency.•Feasible freshwater production was achieved with 42.6% reduction in cost.
Currently, many efforts have been conducted to augment the solar desalination systems' performance, especially solar stills, as a participation in solving the water shortage and energy consumption crises. Herein, the current manuscript introduces a new design of trapezoidal pyramid solar still. This design was compared to a conventional (single slope) solar still. The proposed design contained central trapezoidal pyramidal wick structure aiming to enlarge the area exposed to insolation, and hence boosting the evaporation rate. Then, the modified solar still was integrated with cover cooling unit to improve the condensation rate and external reflectors to concentrate the radiation on the wick structure (evaporation surface). The cooling unit and reflectors were used separately in the second and third case, respectively, then they were utilized together in the fourth case. Finally, in the last case, to enhance the thermo-physical properties of the basin saline water, a copper-oxide nanoparticles were added and the resulted nanofluid was used instead of the basin water. Besides, based on the experimental findings, the thermo-economic performance was assessed. The results showed that the proposed system is feasible with significantly enhanced performance. In addition, compared to relevant works, the proposed deign and modifications are competitive and can add important knowledge to the desalination research field. As a result, the system provided with all modifications could augment the productivity, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency by 147.3, 144.2, and 275.5%. Economically, the freshwater cost could be reduced by 42.58%.
Socioeconomic development has led to increased consumption of both blue and green water. Consequently, China is facing serious water scarcity issue. However, few studies have investigated ...interactions of blue and green water footprints, as well as driving forces underlying the changes in water footprints across provinces and sectors. To fill in this knowledge gap, we quantified the spatial-temporal dynamics of the blue and green water footprint (BWF and GWF, respectively), and analyzed the key factors that drive the provincial-level changes in BWF and GWF from 2002 to 2012. The analysis is facilitated by the approaches of multi-region input-output analysis and structural decomposition analysis, and we developed one decoupling index to quantify the water-economy relation and substitution between green and blue water. The results show that China's BWF averaged at 161 billion m3/yr, about one-third the size of the GWF. In addition, water scarce provinces in Northern China were moving towards decoupling between economic growth and blue water consumption, with GWF playing an increasingly important role. The changes in the WFs were mainly influenced by changes in affluence (final demand per capita), technological improvements (decreased direct water consumption intensity), and consumption pattern (composition of the final demand) rather than changes in the population and export. Technology improvement, consumption pattern shift and industrial structure adjustment contribute to WF reductions, thus help improve water security and sustainability in China. This study provides a new approach to analyze water-economy relations for water scarce countries.
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Despite the recent improvements, there is still a problem of access to WASH services. This problem access is linked to poverty and inequality, which in turn cause difficulties in accessing water, ...thus creating a vicious cycle. This article analyses this vicious cycle using data from international organisations related to these issues. These data show how the lack of water access leads to limitations for households, which are deprived of employment or/and education due to the difficulty in obtaining water. This opportunity cost is the main mechanism through which the feedback between lack of access to water and economic poverty occurs. Not being able to obtain employment or/and education makes it impossible to get out of a precarious situation, which prevents the wider society to benefit from any economic gain, which in turn slows down the achievement of the goal of guaranteeing access to water for all. The responsibility lies with national and international institutions, which should not only focus on obtaining the necessary financial resources for infrastructure improvements, but also on having adequate governance to ensure water sustainability and equity.
Petroleum processing wastewater (PPW) is a complex mixture of free, soluble, and emulsive hydrocarbons that often contain heavy metals and/or solid particles. As these hazardous constituents can ...accumulate in human beings and the environment, exposure to the PPW can have harmful effects in various respects. The use of environmental nanotechnologies (E-Nano) is considered an attractive option to resolve the problems associated with PPW. Among different treatment technologies, E-Nano-based sorption (adsorption/absorption) and membrane filtration approaches have been proven to have outstanding efficacy in remediation of PPW pollutants. It is, however, crucial to determine the appropriate technological option (e.g., low-cost operational conditions) for the practical application of such technologies. In this review, the potential of E-Nano-based sorption and membrane technologies in the treatment of various PPW pollutants is discussed based on their performances in comparison to traditional technologies. Their suitability is evaluated further in relation to their merits/disadvantages and economic feasibility with the goal of constructing a perspective map to efficiently implement the E-Nano technologies.
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•A discussion of the potential of the E-Nano-based sorption and membrane technologies is made.•The method is dealt to treat petroleum processing wastewater (PPW) pollutants and oil spillage.•This review is thus expected to help build a technical roadmap for E-Nano techniques for PPW treatment.
•A novel decision support system based on picture fuzzy set is introduced.•Criteria are sustainability and circularity aspects.•Treatment technologies for petroleum refinery effluents are ...prioritized.•A circular water economy transition for the oil & gas industry is defined.
The navigation of a circular water economy transition towards the oil & gas industry needs for employing appropriate treatment technologies, and ensures the development of environmental, economic, technological, social, and circularity dimensions. Using these technologies for treating effluents produced by petroleum refineries in Iran is considered. The treatment technologies for petroleum refinery effluents can assist local authorities, governments, investors, and developers to reduce climate change and water crisis, reuse treated effluents, mitigate soil, water, and air pollutions, and construct sustainable communities and green industries. With the aim of balance between the issues in the context of sustainability and circularity policies, criteria (principles) including environmental, economic, technological, social, and circularity aspects are assessed. The research takes into consideration the applicability of a novel decision support system (DSS) namely a picture fuzzy set (PFS)-based combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) (PFS-CoCoSo). The proposed DSS can be used to choose the suitable technology considering the principles related to sustainability and circularity pillars. It comprises various technologies for petroleum refinery effluents treatment and prioritizes technologies from the most to least as: MPPE technology, Hydro-cyclone technology, ASP technology, and CPI technology.
•The okra is responsive to the application of irrigation levels.•The physiological parameters of the okra increase as the available water levels increase.•The okra increases productivity when ...well-irrigated.
Plants undergoing any kind of water stress, whether due to excess or lack of water, undergo changes in their biochemical and physiological system, compromising their development. The effects of different irrigation levels on the physiological parameters (chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a fluorescence and gas exchange) and yield of okra were evaluated. Four levels of irrigation were evaluated (very low (25% of ETc); low (50% of ETc); moderate (75% of ETc) and well-irrigated (100% of ETc). The values of chlorophyll a and b increased when irrigation levels intensified, with a higher value at the well-irrigated level, with an increase of 12.10% and 64.2%, respectively. For the Fv, (Fv / Fm), (Fv / Fo) and (Fo / Fm), the highest increase was found in irrigated plants at a well-irrigated level, with values 13.23%, 10.52%, 17.41%, 20.22% highers, respectively, in relation to the very low irrigated level. The variables A, Gs, Ci, E, VPD, A Gs−1 and A Ci−1 were influenced by the irrigation levels, where it was verified that the well-irrigated level raised 242,54%, 145.45%, 50.79%, 252.19%, 21.56%, 41.28% and 193.56%, respectively, when compared to the very low irrigated level. Associated with the values of the physiological parameters, the highest productivity came up in irrigated plants at the well-irrigated level, with an increment of 338.70% in relation to the productivity obtained in irrigated plants at very low irrigated level. The outcomes present valuable information that okra producers should adopt the irrigation technique in a rational way, providing the best level of irrigation for the plants according to the required need.
Water is critical for viticulture sustainability since grape production, quality and economic viability are largely dependent on water availability. The total water consumption of vineyards, 300 to ...700 mm, is generally higher than the annual average precipitation in many viticultural areas, which induces a risk for sustainability of vineyards. Improving vineyard water use efficiency (WUE) is therefore crucial for a sustainable viticulture industry in semi-arid regions. Increased sustainability of water resources for vineyards can be achieved using both agronomical technology and cultivar selection. Here, we review advances in grapevine water use efficiency related to changes in agronomical practices and genetic improvements. Agronomical practices focus on increasing green water use by increasing soil water storage capacity, reducing direct soil water loss, or limiting early transpiration losses. Cover crops for semi-arid areas show a favorable effect, but careful management is needed to avoid excessive water consumption by the cover crop. Canopy management practices to reduce excessive water use are also analyzed. This is a genetic based review focused on identifying cultivars with higher WUE.
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•A Water-economy-ecology concept framework is established.•An evaluation index system of 3 aspects including 15 indicators is constructed.•EFAST-Cloud model is innovatively proposed ...and applied in regional WRCC evaluation.•The WRCC of Henan Province is evaluated at the watershed scale and municipal scale.
Water is the basic need for human survival and the development of economy and ecology. Water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) modelling is a fundamental task to explore the interaction mechanism between economy-ecology development and water resources carrying system. To reasonably quantify the regional WRCC, an evaluation method based on Water-economy-ecology (WEE) concept framework and EFAST-Cloud model is proposed in this study, and Henan Province of China is selected as a typical study area. It can both identify the inter-feeding relationships between sub-systems and evaluate the proportion of each grade in detail by reflecting the randomness and fuzziness of the evaluation. A total of 15 indicators including water system, economy system, and ecology system are constructed. The study analyzes the sensitivity of indicators by using Simlab software and then calculates the weight of indicators by using EFAST method. Compared with other traditional methods, EFAST algorithm is a special method for model sensitivity analysis, which can fully consider the coupling effect between indicators. According to the statistical data of 2010, 2015, and 2020, the WRCC at the watershed scale and municipal scale in Henan Province are evaluated through the EFAST-Cloud model. At the watershed scale, the ecology system criterion layer performs best over the multiple years, the Huaihe and Yangtze River basin have better WRCC at the target layer. At the municipal scale, Xuchang, Luohe, and Zhumadian have better WRCC, Puyang, Zhoukou, and Jiaozuo are slightly worse. The results show that WRCC of the study area has shown an overall improvement, but there is still much space for its development. Therefore, targeted recommendations are made for the water, economy, and ecology system respectively. The conclusion of this paper can provide a reference for the government in making water resources management policies.
Facultative hyperthermia, the elevation of body temperature above normothermic levels, during heat exposure, importantly affects the water economy and heat balance of terrestrial endotherms. We ...currently lack a mechanistic understanding of the benefits hyperthermia provides for avian taxa.
Facultative hyperthermia has been proposed to minimize rates of water loss via three distinct mechanisms: M1) by maintaining body temperature (Tb) above environmental temperatures (Te), heat can be lost non‐evaporatively, saving water; M2) by minimizing the thermal gradient when Te > Tb, environmental heat gain and evaporative water loss rates are reduced; and M3) by storing heat via increases in Tb which reduces evaporative heat loss demands and conserves water.
Although individuals may benefit from all three mechanisms during heat exposure, the relative importance of each mechanism has not been quantified among species that differ in their body size, heat tolerance and mechanisms of evaporative heat dissipation.
We measured resting metabolism, evaporative water loss and real‐time Tb from 33 species of birds representing nine orders ranging in mass from 8 to 300 g and estimated the water savings associated with each proposed mechanism. We show that facultative hyperthermia varies in its benefits among species.
Small songbirds with comparatively low evaporative cooling capacities benefit most from (M1), and hyperthermia maintains a thermal gradient that allows non‐evaporative heat losses. Other species benefited most from (M2) minimizing evaporative losses via a reduced thermal gradient for heat gain at high Te. We found that (M3), heat storage, only improved the water economy of the sandgrouse, providing little benefit to other species.
We propose that differences in the frequency and magnitude of hyperthermia will drive taxon‐specific differences in temperature sensitivity of tissues and enzymes and that the evolution of thermoregulatory mechanisms of evaporative heat dissipation may contribute to differences in basal metabolic rate among avian orders.
Understanding the mechanistic basis of heat tolerance is essential to advance our understanding of the ecology of birds living in hot environments that are warming rapidly, where extreme heat events are already re‐structuring avian communities.
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Balancing socioeconomic development with water resources among cities is critical for the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. Despite this urgent need to analyse balanced development, a ...recognized method to measure and improve the balanced degree in urban agglomerations impacted by water resource constraints is still lacking. This study proposes a framework to evaluate the balanced development degree and simulate the impacts of interactions and management policies of economy-society-water on balanced development in urban agglomerations. This paper establishes a balanced development degree index using the coupling coordinated degree (CCD) model; constructs a system dynamic (SD) model to simulate economy-society-water interactions; and designs future scenarios to evaluate the impacts of industry, population, water, and comprehensive regulation policies on balanced development. The integrated framework that couples the above three methods was validated in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China. The results showed that (a) industrial and population regulations slightly increase the level of balanced development by 0.0025 and 0.0024 in the BTH region but will increase water scarcity in Hebei; (b) improving water use efficiency is an effective way to relieve water stress; and (c) the balanced degree increases by 15% under comprehensive regulatory policies. Integrated water-economy-society management makes it possible to achieve co-development without increasing the water crisis in the BTH region. This study provides support for policy-makers and promotes sustainable development of the water-economy-society in urban agglomerations.
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•A framework for balancing urban agglomerations under water constraints is developed.•An index of urban agglomerations balanced development is established.•Efficiency of the proposed approach is examined in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.•The water system is key to balanced development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
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